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Thursday, December 31, 2009

It was a slow week for deals at the grocery store, which is to be expected after so many good weeks in a row! I only did 2 transactions and doubled 10 coupons. 7 of those coupons were for the Steamers, for which I had a raincheck from 2 weeks ago. I spent $34.40 for 37 items and saved $47.39, a savings of 58% (savings divided by savings+OOP).These items were free: Smart Balance sour cream, Steamers x7, Asian Sensation Wontons, YoPlus x2, Fiber One x2

These items were $1 or less: New York garlic bread, Ready to Bake cookies x2, fajita seasoning x2, bananas

I also bought 4 gallons of milk, some lemon juice, 2 cans of Dole pineapple, white chocolate, powdered sugar, oranges, 2 parmesan cheese, and Kraft cheese x6 for $1.33 each. A catalina printed out letting me know about a Kraft pomotion from 1/1/10 to 1/24/10. Buy 5 Kraft cheese products in one transaction and get a $5 OYNO catalina coupon (a coupon for $5 off your next order that prints out at the register). This includes all kinds of Kraft cheese, Philadelphia cream cheese, Velveeta, Cracker Barrel, Cheez Whiz, Breakstone's, and Knudsen products. I may go back and buy some cheese on Friday or Saturday, because with the in-ad coupon (ask for it at the service desk), you get $1 off 3, and they are on sale 3/$4.98. Ask for 2 coupons, buy 6 cheese in one transaction, pay $7.96 and get a $5 catalina! What a great deal for cheese! Remember, you can put shredded cheese in the freezer so it will keep longer.

Because I was able to spend less this week, my average spending per week for December dropped to $47.93. My goal is to keep our average weekly spending around $50 a week. Your family's needs are different than mine, so your weekly average is probably different as well. My challenge to you is to make a goal of spending less per week and stick to it. What is your weekly shopping goal?Now is the perfect time to set one!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

One of the things I love about Christmas is Handel's "Messiah". I sung it in high school and then for several years I enjoyed going to "Messiah Sing-A-Longs" where you could bring your own music and join in the singing during the chorus parts. Unfortunately, I haven't found any sing-a-longs for several years, but I still sing along to the CD at home. As I get older, though, the high parts seem higher than they used to be!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

It seems like a slow week at the grocery store to me, especially since the cereal deals have slowed down. Maybe I'll actually be able to make myself stay home and skip some deals this week.Well, I'll still need milk and a few other things. . . :-) Anyway, here are the printable coupon matches. You may have coupons in your stash that make the sales look better, so remember to look for those. Since this is a normal week, coupons that say "do not double" should still double automatically. You can double up to 5 coupons per $25 order (after sale prices but before coupons), and you can split your groceries into more than one transaction in order to double more coupons. Any questions about how all this works? Feel free to email me!

GROCERYKellogg's Cereal or Pop-Tarts, buy 5 get $5 off instantly and a $3 off milk catalinaVarious coupons here and hereShoot for a target price of $1 or less per box

Take some time during the busy-ness of today to reflect on WHY we celebrate Christmas. G has been praying all month that people would remember that Christmas isn't about presents or Santa, but that it's about Jesus' birth, and that he came to save us from our sins. I'm sure you got some gifts today, but if you've never accepted the most valuable and important gift of all, then you are missing out. Jesus wants to give you eternal life. He wants to wipe your slate clean. All you need to do is accept the gift he is giving you, instead of turning away. It's Jesus' birthday, but all He wants is to give you a gift. Will you accept His gift today?

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8,9

As usual, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to leave a comment or email me. I am more than happy to help in any way I can. Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

I was excited about the Double Coupon Day Extravaganza yesterday, but with G's MRI and then yucky tummy, plus having company in town, I didn't have as much time to plan and shop. I didn't have as many coupons as I thought for things that I needed, so I only did 2 transactions and doubled 18 coupons (1 did not double). My total was $38.89, with a savings of $50.60, or 56%. This brings my average spending for December to $51.31 per week. I was shooting for an average close to $50 a week, and I did it! :-)These items were free: Cool-Whip x2, Jell-o x2, organic diced tomatoes x2, Eggbeaters

I also bought 5 gallons of milk, broccoli, 4 blocks of cheese, 2 packages of sliced cheese, fruit cocktail, peaches, Edy's ice cream, egg nog x2 (special request by Ted--'tis the season!), and some Alexia snacks (they were supposed to be $0.50, but the coupon didn't double, so they were $1.50--oh well).

Poverty Stricken Student said...How long does it take you to gather all these coupons? Are you able to buy the products that you like using coupons, or do you have to constantly buy different brands? How do you store all that food?

Sorry if that seems nosy...but it would be great to be able to save $132 on groceries!

Poverty Stricken Student-It's not nosy at all-those are all really good questions! The short answer is it's about changing the way you shop--buying extra of things when they are on sale and using coupons to their maximum (which for me means shopping on double coupon days--get to know your store's policies).

It takes about an hour to gather coupons and check the sale ads, and about 1 1/2 hrs to do my multiple transactions at the store. It takes me a little longer at home because I scour the ad and put together the double coupon deal post every Tuesday so that others can just come to my blog and print off the coupons that they are interested in--saving them time and money!

One thing I do like about using coupons is I get to try new brands that I wouldn't usually buy because the product is free. I am brand-loyal for some things (diapers, toilet paper, and deodorant, for example), but otherwise my family is pretty flexible. There are some favorite items that I don't always get coupons for, but then I just watch for when those items go on sale and buy as many as I think I will need to get to the next sale (about 2 months). That's called stockpiling--so you never have to pay full-price again! Even if you don't use coupons, but shop this way, you will save a LOT of money!

The storage question is a VERY good one. My husband and I were just talking about this last night! We've decided this is NOT just another phase, it's a new way of shopping and it IS saving us a lot of money, so we need to figure out something for storage. We don't have a large pantry, so we bought one of those free-standing pantries (like a bookcase with doors) and put it in the adjoining office. We decided we now need another one to help store cereal, crackers, juice, etc. I don't want to put food in the basement, but I do keep the Mtn Dew down there, and paper towels and kleenex in those extra large Ziploc storage bags. Toilet paper and toiletries (shampoo, lotion, razors, etc) I keep in various cupboards and drawers upstairs. Extra laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, and dish soap are kept in the laundry room. Just find a nook or cranny and fill it with something--just remember to rotate your stockpile so stuff doesn't expire.

We also bought a medium-sized chest freezer (not huge) that has been a BIG help. This way I can freeze all sorts of things when they are on sale (besides ice cream, pizza or vegetables, you can also freeze bread, cheese, even milk--though our family goes through it fast enough I don't need to freeze it!). Another thing I can do is buy meat when it's on sale and then either cook and freeze it or freeze it uncooked to use later. I can make extra of meals and freeze for a later meal. This saves money AND time! I have some freezer-friendly recipes posted here.

I have a lot of information and answer a lot of questions in my Coupon 101 posts here. If you have a few minutes, take a look around and feel free to email me or leave a comment if you have more questions. I WILL try my best to answer them!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Thanks to all of you for your prayers for G's MRI this morning. They worked! The nurse told us she would have to get an IV in order to deliver the sedation meds, so we asked if there was another way since she is afraid of needles. She said she didn't know, but would ask the anesthesiologist. G wasn't happy when she left the room, but we all prayed about it again. The anesthesiologist decided to use a gas mask to put her out before inserting the IV, so we were extremely thankful, and so was G!

If you would continue to pray for her, though, we would appreciate it. Even though her MRI was this morning, she still "feels wobbly" and throws up every time she tries to drink or eat anything. She hasn't eaten since last night, and she can't even keep a sip of water down right now. We keep hoping the sedation meds will have worked through her system, but it's been like 6 hours since they removed the IV and she still can't even drink water without throwing up. I guess it's probably because of the contrast she was given for the MRI. I'm sure she'll get through it eventually, but she is pretty miserable. Thanks for praying, we all appreciate it!

Hurry and print a coupon for a FREE Taco Bell Fresco Taco! Your coupon will expire 7 days after printing and there are only 1 million tacos available. Only one coupon can be printed per person.Thanks Freebies4Mom!

Please pray for G today as she is having another MRI done, which involves sedation. She's not especially nervous about the "brain pictures", but she is worried there may be blood draws or shots involved. She does NOT like needles at ALL, so it will be an unhappy experience for everyone if either of those need to occur. If you'd remember to lift her up to the Lord today, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

This Wednesday ONLY, you will be able to double up to 10 coupons per $25 transaction (after sales and before coupons)! So get those coupons ready for some serious savings! Coupons up to $1 in value will be doubled--however, it says in the small print that coupons stating "do not double" will not be doubled, so be careful. I don't think it usually states this policy, since on regular weeks the "do not double" coupons always double, but maybe this means they will be enforcing it this week due to the special. Just be aware. Questions? Leave a comment or email me! :-)

Please note that I only list printable coupon matches, since everyone has access to them. Dig through your coupon stash to see what other coupons you might have that may be valuable doubled.

I found this coupon that might be worth something, though I don't usually buy Malt-O-Meal cereal, so I don't know how much it is. But print it off twice and bring it just in case you can get a good deal with a doubled coupon:Get a $0.75/1 Malt-O-Meal coupon here

Go here to download a free copy of Mason Jar Recipes: 34 Holiday Ideas for Gifts in a Jar. This ebook has 77 pages of wonderful and delicious gift-in-a-jar recipes which would be great to make and give as gifts this Christmas season!

And to those of you who enjoy the Double Coupon Days every Wednesday at our grocery store, get out your coupons, because this Wednesday they will be doubling 10 coupons per $25 order instead of just 5! I'll get the coupon matches up by Tuesday, so be sure to check back for some great deals! :-) Thanks to Linda for emailing me the heads-up!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

I've been meaning to post about this for FOREVER, but kept forgetting! I'm sure a lot of you volunteer, so I wanted to make sure you knew about this. Sage Hospitality wants to encourage volunteerism, so if you give 8 hours of community service to a registered 501(c)3 organization by March 29, 2010, you can get a free night's stay (see here for hotels), or 50% off on hotel rooms at all 53 Sage hotels across the country (includes some Sheratons, Courtyards, Fairfield Inns, Holiday Inns, and more). It looks like you must complete your stay by March 31st, 2010.

Many churches are registered 501(c)3 organizations, but you'll need to check to make sure. Guests will be asked at check in to share an original letter on official letterhead signed by a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization verifying the time volunteered--8 hours must be completed. Volunteer hours are to be unpaid hours. Reservations must be made 48 hours in advance and are based on availability. One complimentary night per individual per hotel throughout the duration of the promotion.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Given that we have four girls so far, the guesses abound regarding what this child will be! Ted and I are planners and prefer to have the "surprise" of our baby's gender early, so we always try to find out at our ultrasound, which happens to be coming up after the holidays. So before we find out, I thought it would be fun to have a poll to see what all of YOU think I will be having this time! If you are a subscriber through email or google reader, please click through to my blog to take part in our fun little poll on my sidebar!Do you think I need to keep the pink or buy some blue? :-) After you vote in the sidebar, I'd love it if you would leave a comment on this post with what your vote was, just out of curiosity!

We haven't "tried" to influence the gender of our babies, and we would be perfectly happy with five girls. We love the family God has given us and don't "wish" it to be any different. Ted doesn't feel sad or deprived that he doesn't have a boy--he loves all his girls to pieces! That being said, since we have 4 girls, is it more likely that we will have another girl? I've heard it said that once you have 2 of the same gender, you are more likely to have that gender again. There are plenty of people who I've heard of (or been told about!) who have had 4, 5, 6, or even 7 of one gender! Interestingly enough, I have a friend who also has 4 girls about my daughters' ages, and she is also pregnant with #5--and we are both due in May. We are BOTH so anxious to find out what #5 will be, even for the other person! If you'd like to guess what she is having as well, leave a comment below.

So are those "odds" scientific or just an old wives' tale? I found this article about the odds of having boys or girls in multiple child families very interesting. Their conclusion? Your odds of having either a girl or a boy stay pretty close to 50% with slight variation. In fact, with any child you are slightly more likely to have a boy than a girl (51% to 49%). So it looks like we've beat the odds with the first four, will we do it with one more? Remember to vote in the poll and then leave a comment on this post after you vote. Once I have my ultrasound in early January, the poll will be closed and I will reveal the results of the ultrasound!

Friday, December 18, 2009

H has been taking piano lessons from our friend Mrs. B. for a little over a year now, and she just had her first piano recital! She got dressed up in her Christmas dress, and I even let her wear one of my necklaces since it was a special occasion. She was SO excited! She prepared two songs, Away in a Manger and We Three Kings. H is not usually one to get up on stage (unlike G who loves the spotlight), so I wasn't sure how it would go--would she get nervous? I tried to prep her as much as I could, asking her if she felt confident about her songs. She replied, "I can play Away in a Manger with my eyes closed!" I said for a concert it's probably better to keep your eyes open! :-)

Recital night came and she was #6 on the program. There was a wide range of abilities there, from kids who had just started lessons to those who had obviously been playing for several years. H's turn came and she did a wonderful job! We were all so proud! Ted asked the kids afterwards what their favorite part was. M said "the notes". G said, "the music". H said, "When it was my turn to play!" The first thing she said when we got in the car was, "When can I do another recital?" I guess she wasn't nervous after all! :-) Click through to my blog to see two short videos of H playing her two songs. She looks so little and so grown up at the same time!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

This week I only went to the grocery store for double coupon day. WOW. It was incredibly busy there! Apparently everyone loved the sales they were offering! I did two transactions, then put them in my car and went back for three more. I bought 73 items, doubled 25 coupons, spent $57.26, and saved $132.13, a savings of 70%!These items were free: 3 gallons of milk, Cool Whip, Bagel Bites, and 24 of the 32 boxes of Keebler/Kellogg's products!

Considering the other things I bought, I got a great deal on my groceries this week! I also bought dry milk for $16 and dry chocolate mix for $6 (I use these to make my homemade hot chocolate mix), 4 cases of Mtn Dew for $10, coffee (less than $4), pretzels, broccoli, Karo syrup, cottage cheese, and more milk.

What am I going to do with ALL this cereal? The cereal will be donated, since cereal has been on sale for the past 3 weeks and we're pretty well stocked already. I figure the food pantries probably can't get cereal as cheap as I can, so I might as well help out when I can! But it was nice to be able to buy a couple of things that I normally don't buy because they usually aren't on sale for this cheap (iced animal crackers and soft batch cookies, for example). And the white cheddar Cheez-Its? Chalk it up to pregnancy cravings! ;-)

How did you do this week? What deals did you take advantage of? Leave a comment!

Still have Christmas shopping to do? Good news--today is free shipping day! Over 630 online retailers are offering free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve if you order today. Some retailers may have a minimum purchase attached to their free shipping offer, but most don't. See the free shipping day website for participating stores and details.

Another option is to check retailmenot.com for a specific website you are shopping with to see if there is a coupon code you can use. If you are a member of sites like MyPoints, Ebates, or ShopAtHome, remember to shop through them to save even more!

I mentioned Cyber Monday (always the Monday after Black Friday) and Free Shipping Day (always around December 17th) to my in-laws at Thanksgiving and they had never heard of either one. I think of my father-in-law and my husband's uncle as being technically savvy, so I was surprised to have some info they didn't know! ;-)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Here are some Redbox codes to try if you'd like to get a free movie rental. I don't know if all of them work or not, but I wanted to pass them along just in case one of them works for you. People are reporting that some work at some machines and not at others, so write them all down and give them a try if you will already be driving by a Redbox. Some of these I have posted before, so it's possible you've already used some of them. If you have more than one credit or debit card, you can try the code again, as you can use a code once per debit/credit card. If you feel like it, you can search through the other Redbox codes I've posted and write those down, too, just in case one of them still works! Good luck, and I hope you can get a free movie! If you do find one that works, can you please leave a comment so the rest of us know? Thanks!

*If you haven't used Redbox yet, you can use codeREDBOX to try your first rental for free on any day that works for you!*This code only works for first-time Redbox customers.

JuiceBoxJungle wants to know how often you and your spouse get out for date nights. There is a poll box on my right sidebar in the JuiceBoxJungle widget. Click your answer to see the poll results. If you're reading through an email or RSS subscription, you'll have to click through to my blog to take the poll.

I'm guessing a lot of you wish you could have more date nights with your spouse. What are your reasons for not going out more? Is it money to pay for dinner or lack of a sitter? Restaurants.com is co-sponsoring the poll and wants to help you out with discounts to restaurants. Have you used Restaurants.com before? They also have a promotion going on where you can "Feed it Forward" and give other people $10 certificates for FREE, up to 30 per day until Christmas!

I ask for gift cards to restaurants for Christmas, which helps with the food cost of dates out. Unfortunately, it's the babysitter cost that makes it hard for us to go out alone. We don't have any family in the area, and paying a babysitter for a couple of hours for 4 (soon-to-be 5!) young kids is not cheap! We already get a babysitter twice a month for our couple's small group, so adding another night gets expensive. But it's something we know is important, so we do try to go out. We aim for once a month, but it's realistically more like once every 2-3 months. One thing we've done is get a babysitter for a weekend lunch out, where we run to a nearby restaurant and are only gone for one hour, which helps to keep the cost lower.

Leave a comment below with how often you and your spouse get out for dates. What do you do to get out alone with your spouse?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

When you hit the grocery store to buy those $0.99 Kellogg's and Keebler products, keep your eyes peeled for specially marked boxes. Linda emailed to let me know that you can get $10 Toy Cash (in the form of a check) with 5 tokens on specially marked boxes, or a DVD with 5 movie tokens on specially marked boxes. What a great deal!

Several Keebler crackers, Keebler Sandies, and Sunshine Cheez-Its are included in the $10 Toy Cash offer. Limit of one $10 toy cash offer per household, expires 12/31/10. A long list of Kellogg's cereals and Keebler crackers and cookies are included in the DVD offer, where you can choose from 8 titles.

Discounted Gift Certificates

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Check out my "Coupon 101" posts for getting started. Abbreviations have you confused? Go to "Coupon Lingo" for a crash course. And always feel free to email me with questions. I do this because I want to help others! :-) Printing issues? Click here for some help.